


The Night the Lights Went Out in Riverdale

by JustALilBookworm



Category: Archie Comics, Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, F/M, Hopeful Ending, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Onesided Barchie, Sad bughead
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:21:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27595427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustALilBookworm/pseuds/JustALilBookworm
Summary: Something Veronica had said began to ring in his ears, 'Are Jughead and I not enough anymore?' No, he wasn’t enough, how could he be? He was a lost soul, the son his mother didn’t want so she left him behind, the boy who mutilated a woman on the side of the road, the scared little kid who’d lived on the streets for years. How could he be enough for Betty Cooper? Look at what he had just done to his former best friend. Maybe it was best if they split up, maybe she’d be happier that way – without him to drag her down and keep her from reaching her full potential.OrMy Interpretation of the Prom Episode
Relationships: Archie Andrews & Betty Cooper, Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones, Betty Cooper/Veronica Lodge
Comments: 6
Kudos: 26





	The Night the Lights Went Out in Riverdale

**Author's Note:**

> Archie get's confused and almost ruins everything. Veronica makes some realizations. Jughead does some reflecting. And Betty works to make amends.

Prom night.

Lots of young children wonder what they’ll be like in high school; will they be popular? Who will they be dating? Hopefully the kid that they can’t help but stare at during lunch. And of course, they envision their prom night - meant to be a teenage rite of passage. A big party at the end of the year where they get all dressed up in tuxedos, floor length dresses, nice (uncomfortable) shoes, and dance away with their friends and classmates until it gets too late for the teacher chaperones and everyone has to go home so the poor custodians can get the gym cleaned up by Monday morning.

Betty Cooper stood in front of her mirror in her room putting the final touches on her dress and smiling to herself while she ran her hand on the fabric of her skirt. Brushing away any non-existent dust and smoothing unforeseen wrinkles.

Not too long ago, her and her beloved (if at times overwhelming) best friend Veronica Lodge had spent an entire day going from store to store looking for what Veronica called the “right energy” of clothes shop to go in an look for dresses. As Veronica had put it, if a shop didn’t have the correct energy, then there would be some sort of mishap; either with the dress or the process of finding one. And as Betty knew from a few years’ experience, you do not argue with Veronica Lodge when she is talking about events that involve an iota of class or fanciness, all you can do is hold on for dear life should she drag you with her.

***

After giving up an entire Saturday looking for the right shop, Veronica had decided that no shop in Riverdale could possibly be good enough her and her B. And the very next day – after some debate – the two girls left for New York City. Betty kept telling her beloved best friend that there was no possible way she could afford anything at the store Veronica had decided upon. Veronica, wanting only the best for her dear Bettykins, had offered to pay; but Betty didn’t feel right about relying on her best friend for this. So, the twosome came to an agreement.

“B, why don’t you pay whatever portion of the price for the picturesque dress you sure to find you are comfortable with within your budget, and I’ll pay the rest.” Veronica told her, holding Betty’s hand, looking in her eyes with earnest, and small, warm, smile on her lips.

“Are you sure you’re alright with that, V? I don’t want you to feel like you have to do this for me, or that I’m a burden.” Betty said, her worry clear both by her expression and tone.

Maybe it was the way she grew up, a domineering mother throwing bright colors and high expectations at her, but Betty never felt easy with people doing things for her. Things had gotten much better in her and her mothers relationship since sophomore year, following a period of decline and then a sharp crash and burn earlier last year. Her mother was more open and receptive to Betty being herself and doing things every teenager does, and also the things only Betty Cooper (with the partnership of her impossibly dear beanie-clad boyfriend, Jughead Jones) does. Betty could not wish for a better mother-daughter relationship than the one she had now. Her mother broke in Bret and Jug’s dorm room at Stonewall Prep a few months ago together for heaven’s sake!

“Nonsense Betty dear, it’s the least I could do” Veronica said cheerfully, and then pausing for a moment, “you know you never have been, nor ever could be burden on me, don’t you?” sounding a bit unsure of herself.

Betty nodded and comfortingly smiled at her friend. Yes, she cared very much about nice things and big events, but when it came to the people in her heart, there was absolutely nothing in the world Veronica Lodge wouldn’t do.

The two girls then proceeded to look through (if you were to ask Betty) every dress in the store, with Veronica grabbing silk and chiffon of every color left and right. She threw Betty into a dressing room, far larger and more tastefully decorated than any other dressing room she had stepped into - that on its own made Betty feel slightly overwhelmed. After wiggling in and out clothes for an amount of time the blonde would never admit too, she tried on and showed Veronica (who was sitting just outside the dressing room having found her dress with remarkable ease) a yellow sleeve-less chiffon dress that had one strap on her shoulder and slit on the side to show off her legs.

When she stepped out of the room, Veronica’s mouth dropped open in awe and Betty blushed and smiled. “What do you think?” she asked, but she already knew by the incredibly enthusiastic expression taking over her friend’s face.

***

Betty was now standing in her room wearing that same dress, looking back on that day she’d spent with her best friend and feeling a twinge of sadness knowing that come August, fun days with her V would be hard to find. The sound of footsteps walking in the room pulled Betty from her thoughts as she turned around to find Jughead looking at her with a loss for words.

Nothing could replace the feeling Betty had in her heart when Jug looked at her like she was the only woman in the entire world, and because of that, she always had full confidence in him when it came to being around other women. That’s not to say she didn’t get jealous when a pretty girl tried to flirt with him, that was to be expected seeing as how good looking he was. Tall, dark hair, a mysteriously undefinable eye color that worked (on many levels) to his benefit, strong arms and hands, a warm smile, she could go on forever.

What Betty cared most for in her boyfriend’s appearance was his eyes. She loved the way they dilated when one of them had a great idea, she loved to see the way they filled with joy when he laughed or smiled, she loved how gentle they were when he set his gaze on her. That gentleness had been there since the day they met in elementary school; it was something he never shared with anyone else in his life, only her.

He sighed contently and looked at her with a smile on his lips and the ever-present love, admiration, and gentleness in his eyes. Even for a writer, sometimes the right words just aren’t there to describe a scene; at any other moment Jughead would hate that – as he hated most things – but not when his Betty, his heart, his lover, and his queen was standing before him looking as heavenly as she did. Her hair was down, her golden locks resting on her shoulders – something not very typical of Betty Cooper, who usually had her hair up in a ponytail. Jughead thought she looked beautiful no matter her state of appearance, but he did (secretly) prefer when her hair was down; he thought it encapsulated perfectly how much of free spirit she had let herself become over the years.

Betty was smiling at him, “do you like it?”, he then remembered he did, in fact, have a voice with which to properly complement her instead of staring like a fool.

He took a few steps toward her and ran his hands down her arms before settling them on her hips, “you look absolutely stunning, Betts”, and he kissed her.

***

Neither of them noticed, or even knew, that a certain red head was watching them from his window. Archie hadn’t meant to intrude on a moment that he was clearly not meant to see, but he couldn’t help himself. Anger boiled up within him when he saw Jughead kiss Betty, _take your hands off her,_ he thought. He saw Betty smile and say something, and Jug placing a corsage on her wrist and leading her out of the room.

Ever since Betty had told him they couldn’t be together; Archie was miserable whenever he saw her with Jug; the worst part was he couldn’t fully understand why. When did the way he feel about Betty change? If he told her the way he felt would she change her mind? Was there even a chance she felt the same?

There was something so **right** about the way that kiss and time alone in the bunker had felt that he just couldn’t let it go, and he had tried to. Three years ago, he told her he wasn’t good enough for her and at the time he didn’t feel anything for her except the love two close friends share, but that wasn’t true anymore. He saw his future with her, here in Riverdale, and he needed to know if she saw the same.

An idea popped into his mind and he started looking around his room for what he would need. He would get up on stage and sing the song he wrote for her, and he would tell her that night how he felt. He was sure of this, this plan would work, she would love him back, and they would have the future he now could only picture with her.

They would spend the summer together, she would go college and he would leave for the Naval Academy, they would visit each other often while they were in school. After they graduated and before he started his tenure of military service, they would come home to Riverdale and get married. He would go to basic training and boot camp and she’d stay here, working with her mother at the news station; she would wait for him to come back whenever he would ship out. She’d live here, in his house with his mom, eventually they’d have children, and everything would perfect.

All he had to do was make her see that he loved her, and she loved him, and it didn’t matter what he had to do or who he had to go through, he would show her.

***

The sun was very low in the sky when Betty and Jughead arrived at the school. They held hands and walked through the linoleum floored, cyder block walled, halls, passed the gym where every other senior in their class was dancing and having fun with each other. But Betty and Jughead were currently headed for another destination, one that had always felt like their own little hideaway for the past few years.

The Blue and Gold office held many memories for them: it was the first time they had worked long-term as a team together, the place where they had comforted each other during trying times, where they worked though many mysteries, and so much more. But of course, it was where they had plenty of bad times as well: it was where they fought for a second time over Betty doing the serpent dance, where she had learned of Jug’s night with Toni, and where the farmies threatened her.

But this would be a good night, they were young and in-love, that was the only thing that mattered to them now. They would be going to different schools soon enough, but they had faced far worse than distance, so they weren’t afraid of ending up like a lot of other high school sweethearts - trying make it work but end up having a nasty breakup first semester.

They sat down on a desk, side-by-side, and Betty draped her legs over his while one of Jug’s arms went around her. They sat there in silence for a few minutes, Jughead occasionally pressing sweet kisses to her head, face, and cheeks, and her doing the same. With their free hands clasped, neither of them had to say anything, the other already knew and understood.

“Do you think some other emotionally disturbed kids will claim this room as their territory next year?” Jughead said jokingly.

Betty giggled, her head now resting on one of his shoulders, “I hope so, this town is gonna need someone to take up the helm of teen-detectives”, she said.

Jughead chuckled, she was right, this town had red oozing out of its ledger, and someone would have to wipe it out. He knew that, and Betty knew it too. You don’t grow-up in Riverdale not knowing what a disaster it is at its core. But he also knew that both of them had had enough with trying to save a town that cannot be saved; they were tired, and they needed to get away from it to save themselves, and they would do it together.

“Jug?”, Betty said quietly

“yes, Betts?”

“do you think we’ll ever come back here after we graduate college?”

She looked at him with her beautiful green eyes, “I don’t know Betts, somehow I really don’t think we will” he answered.

“Where will we go then?”, she asked, giving him a playful look

“How does Chicago sound to you? We’ll be far away, but not too far away, from our parents. You could work as a detective for the police department, or a paralegal for a law firm, and I’ll write about all the mysteries we solve there” he said, running his fingers through her hair the way he knew she liked.

She sighed calmly, loving the feeling of his touch, and smiled, “that sounds perfect, Juggie”, she pressed a kiss to his lips, “I love you, Jughead Jones”

“I love you too, Betty Cooper. I love you so much”

After one more moment of calm and happy Jughead and Betty silence, the two left their little bubble and went to the gym, figuring it was high time they mingled with other people their age

***

Intellectually, Archie knew he should feel bad about what he was about to do, he had a girlfriend, one that he deeply loved not-too long ago, but things changed and he couldn’t explain to her how, because he knew she’d ask. Also, the girl he decided he truly loved was dating his best friend, this would permanently end his almost life-long friendship with Jughead.

But Archie couldn’t help but feel that Jughead didn’t deserve her or love her the way she should be loved. A boy from the southside, king of a biker gang, raised in a broken home, and even homeless for a time. What did he have to offer her?

Archie arrived at the school with Veronica in her family’s car driven by Smithers and they had gone into the gym together. He played the part of happy, loving, boyfriend when he didn’t feel that way anymore. They had danced together for a few songs, and then he told her there was something he needed to take care of, but he would be right back.

“Is everything okay, Archie?”, she asked, searching his face for signs that she should be worried

“Yeah, everything’s fine Ronnie, there’s just something I have to do, it’ll only take a second” he told her, noticing Betty and Jughead were sitting at a table and talking with Cheryl, Toni, Fangs, and Kevin.

“Alright, if you’re sure” Veronica said, not at all convinced everything was okay. And she walked over to the table her friends were sitting at. Archie stood watching them for moment, and he saw a look Betty gave Jughead. Now, to anyone else that look would’ve been perfectly normal – as it was just an over the shoulder scrunched up nose and a smile – but to a boy who was ready to tear down multiple relationships for the girl, it was a look that screamed she wasn’t happy.

On top of simply wanting to have Betty all to himself, he now believed she was unhappy with Jughead. Worse, he thought for a brief moment Jughead was emotionally and psychologically abusive to her, and he would be the brave knight that saved Princess Betty from danger. Once he saved her, she would love him forever.

And now here he was, backstage, in his school gymnasium about to go in front of so many people and sing to Betty Cooper with his guitar. He heard his name being announced, and he walked with his head held high and confidence soaring to unknown heights. He began to play.

***

Betty thought it was odd that Archie would do an impromptu performance at prom, but maybe he just forgot to mention it. Everyone clapped when he came on stage and the moment they all settled down he started to play his guitar. But instead of enjoying her friend’s performance, her heart dropped and her ears starting pounding with rage.

How could he do this? How could he come on stage and play that stupid song he wrote for her a few weeks ago? They’d agreed to not see each other anymore, why couldn’t he just accept her lack of love towards him with grace and move on with his own life? He did this on purpose, she just knew it.

Her shocked and angry reaction must’ve not gone unnoticed by Jughead, and Veronica must’ve known that particular awful love song wasn’t written with her mind. They both looked at her, their faces saying _What’s going on? What do you know that I don’t?_ The back and forth exchange of anxious looks between the three of them went on for a few minutes, and before they knew it, Archie finished playing, thanked the crowd, and walked off stage.

Betty was livid at him for an entire list of reasons, she didn’t want this to happen this way. She was going to tell them what had happened and why. She wanted to do it with both of them separately because she wasn’t strong enough to see both their reactions at the same time. And above all, she just wanted one peaceful and fun night with her friends and boyfriend, none of them had had that in so long, all she asked for was one night of fun, and that large orangutan ripped away that chance.

“Come with me”, she told them, leading them out of the gym and through the halls to the other side of the school so they could have some privacy for this difficult conversation.

***

He did it, he really did it. He sang his song to Betty on prom night. He had tried not to be obvious and stare at her, because he was imagining her coming up to him and asking why he sang her song. And he would tell her it was because he loved her and wanted them all to know, and she would kiss him.

He had seen Veronica, Jughead, and Betty leave together, and he followed them out of the gym and down the halls. He knew she was going to tell them, and he knew it was also his fault to admit to, she didn’t deserve to take the blame all alone.

He found them standing together in the middle of a hallway covered in lockers.

***

“Betty, what’s going on? Why did you have that look on your face when Archie sang? Why did you pull us out here?”, Veronica asked. Jughead was standing next to her with a look that showed he had the exact same questions. They were both facing Betty and saw Archie coming down the hall behind her.

“This isn’t the way I wanted to talk to you guys about this but…well, do you remember how a few weeks ago we were all fighting?”, Betty explained. Her friends nodded, concern beginning to lace their faces; neither of them could’ve known or been prepared for what they were about to here out of Betty’s mouth. Archie had taken the spot next to her.

“Do you remember how we were supposed to have band practice that night, but we were all so angry at each other, none of us went? See, the thing is…I went to Archie’s when we were supposed to, and we played that song “The Origin of Love”. And at the end, we may have…kissed and met in the bunker twice. But we did nothing there.”, she continued, twisting her hands, bowing her head in shame and to keep them from seeing the tears falling down her cheeks. Her voice was quiet and full of regret, but all of them heard her clearly none the less.

There was only silence for an uncomfortably long time. Betty would’ve much preferred them to scream at her, tell her what two-faced bitch she was, but they didn’t, they stood in shock and heartbroken silence.

“I-I, I don’t understand”, Veronica said tearfully, “why would you do this? Do you love one another? Are Jughead and I not enough anymore?”

“No, V, no, that isn’t…”

“Don’t call me that! Only my friends can call me that and you are no longer that to me”, the Latina screamed. “And you, Andrews, what possible excuse do you have for this betrayal of trust?”

“Veronica, I loved you, but things haven’t been right between us for a long time, you know that”, Archie said, keeping a measured tone. Veronica was staring directly into his eyes and she could see just how not sorry he actually felt.

“Oh my god, you love her, don’t you? You’ve fallen in love with my best friend. How long?” she demanded. Veronica was tolerant of a great many things, but disloyalty on this level was most definitely not one them.

“Since we pretended to date so we could hide Jughead”, the red-headed boy said, for the first time that night showing an ounce of regret.

Betty was shocked when he admitted to loving her, and she was furious as well. She didn’t know a few weeks ago that he had really fallen in love with her, she had just thought he was as lonely as she was. But before she could say anything, Jughead – who had his back turned to all of them, standing in silence trying to make sense of it all – lunged forward and grabbed Archie by the jacket, throwing him against the lockers.

“You, what?!”, he spat

“What do you want me to say Jug?”, Archie said, wincing at the pain in his back from where he had hit the locker and the ball of Jughead’s hands digging into his chest.

“I want you to tell me how it had taken me this long to see how selfish and stupid you are, Andrews!”, Jug roared in his former-friends face, “What kind of man rips out another’s heart like this!”

“I wasn’t trying to rip your heart out Jug, I…”, Archie tried to reason with his friend, placing his hand on one of his wrists.

Jughead, on the other hand, couldn’t bear to listen to the carrot-top Neanderthal try and fail to make excuses, “But you have! Don’t you see?! She’s the reason I have a heart in the first place, and you’re trying to take her away from me! What did you think was gonna happen?! She’d just drop everything and run away with you?! Do you think she loves you back?!”

“I don’t know, J…”

“Answer me!”

“Yes, I do!”, Archie blurted out without thinking. Only after realizing what he had said. Jughead released his hold on him and he fell to the ground.

Neither of them said anything for a moment, both of them catching their breath. Archie tilted his head to look up at Jughead, but what he saw was not the boy he grew-up with, but the fearsome Serpent King. The way he stared at Archie made his skin crawl, for the first time in his life he was afraid of what Jug could do to him. He could stab him easily with his switchblade and no one would know it was him, or he could beat him to a pulp but leave him alive so Archie could spend the rest of his life looking over his shoulder for him.

Jughead was livid. This cowering boy at his feet had been the only friend (besides Betty and his stuffed dog, Hotdog) he had when he was young. Worse, this treasonous rat had not only admitted to loving **his** Betty, but somehow living with the illusion that she loved him back. But she didn’t, did she? He pushed the thought from his mind and re-focused on the ginger Judas.

“Listen to me, Archibald Andrews. Until we all leave town, you are going stay as far as you possibly can from Veronica, myself, and above all, Betty. I so much as hear you were thinking about her, there will be dire consequences, personally carried out by me.”, Jughead said lowly, never loosing eye contact.

“What will you do, kill me? Do you want that on your hands, Jug?”, Archie tried to stand up to the man standing over him, telling him he couldn’t be with Betty. He still felt in his heart that she wanted to be with him.

Jughead chuckled and knelt down so he was almost face-to-face with the self-important philistine. “No, Archie, no. I’m not going to kill you. That would be a mercy compared to what I have in mind if you cross me again.”, he stood up again, “Thanks to you, this is how we are all going to be; this is how we have to go on in the world. And frankly, I’m shocked you don’t feel even a degree of remorse. Goodbye, Archie Andrews. With any luck, we will never meet again.”

***

Jug turned and walked down the hallway, through the school doors, and into the night. This had not been how he wanted this night to go, all he wanted was to have a fun night with Betty, but that red headed fuck just had to ruin everything. Like he always did.

When Jughead thought about it, Archie was the reason for so many of their problems. He messed things up or got himself into trouble, flashed that good ol’ boy smile, and was immediately forgiven by all of them. He thought he was being brave, when he was really creating more challenges for all of them. How did Jughead not notice before? Because he cared about the Andrews boy and he wanted to believe that Archie cared about him as well. They had been friends for so long and Archie threw it all away for Betty.

Betty. Suddenly remembering that she was not innocent in this, Jughead stopped walking and ran his fingers through his hair. She had done this too. She had kissed Archie, for real and of her own accord. When he was confronting Archie all he felt was rage and a want to bash his head in, but with Betty, he felt his heart tear straight down the middle.

Something Veronica had said began to ring in his ears, _Are Jughead and I not enough anymore_? No, he wasn’t enough, how could he be? He was a lost soul, the son his mother didn’t want so she left him behind, the boy who mutilated a woman on the side of the road, the scared little kid who’d lived on the streets for years. How could he be enough for Betty Cooper? Look at what he had just done to his former best friend. Maybe it was best if they split up, maybe she’d be happier that way – without him to drag her down and keep her from reaching her full potential.

Before Jughead knew it, he was standing on the sidewalk not far from where he lived with tears streaming down his face. In the breeze he could hear her voice, the things she’d said to him over the many years they’d known each other.

_Hello there! My name's Betty, what’s yours?_

_We’re best friends now Juggie, and best friends share their snacks with each other_

_Come on Juggie! Come and play with me!_

_We’re in the same classes together Jug! Isn’t that great!_

_It’s not your fault she left you Juggie. It’s her loss if she doesn’t see how amazing you are_

_I’ll be your lab partner Juggie_

_I’m hoping you’ll come write for the Blue and Gold_

_You’re not a project you’re my boyfriend_

_You know you’re the only man for me_

“Juggie?”

***

Betty hadn’t seen the entire fight between Archie and Jughead, she had gone after Veronica. There had been a distance between them this year, but she couldn’t lose her best friend. If her relationship with Jughead was beyond salvaging, maybe there was a chance she could try to fix her relationship with V. Even if not, she couldn’t live with herself if she didn’t at least try.

“V, please. Wait”, she called after her friend, who was walking quickly toward the front door of the school.

“B. I love you. And honestly, I’m more mad at Archie than I am at you. But I need you to tell me two things”, Veronica said, turning to face her with tears on her cheeks, “why did you do this, and are you in love with Archie?”

“Veronica”, Betty started, taking her friends hand, “I got myself into this mess because I was so lonely and afraid. Jug was shutting me out and I couldn’t get through to him when he came back to school, and I was afraid of how much was going to be changing soon. Everything was going so fast that I grabbed on to the one thing that wasn’t going anywhere, Archie. He’s a hometown boy and he always will be, and he’s been in my life for so long that I felt better pretending we were young again with him than facing my reality. If that even makes sense.

“But no, I don’t love him, the days of me helplessly pining after him are long since over. I think that when we were getting close again, I confused companionship with love for a time. I promise you, Veronica, I am not in love with Archie Andrews. Especially after everything he did here tonight. And now, I just hope that someday you can forgive me for hurting you.”

Veronica threw her arms around Betty and held her tightly. She was still furious at her – and she had every right to be – but the two had been through too much together to let their friendship die a miserable death.

“I’m not saying I can forgive you yet, B, that’s going to take some time. But we made a vow not to let a boy come between us again, and I won’t break that.”, Veronica said, her arms still around Betty.

Betty nodded, “I love you, V. Take as much time as you need. I can wait”

After they released one another, they said goodnight to each other, and Betty watched as Veronica got into her car and drove away. She hadn’t been fully forgiven, but Betty was determined to prove herself to Veronica and Jughead. She would show them just how much she loved them both, and someday she would be able to put this behind her and forgive herself. That would be the hardest part.

For the second time that evening, footsteps pulled her from her thoughts.

***

Archie sat on the ground for a minute after Jug had vanished through the door. He had told him to stay away from Betty, but he couldn’t, and he needed to find her. They had both lost their partners and best friends that night, and even though he’d expected that, he hadn’t anticipated just how bad it would hurt. And Betty, poor Betty. She’d see everything as her fault and place the blame on her shoulders alone, that’s who she was. He couldn’t let her do that. He needed to save her from herself. He needed to show her he loved her, and she wasn’t going to face this alone. And Jughead wouldn’t stop him.

He stood up and walked through the halls. He’d seen her and Veronica come this way and he figured they had gone to the front door. Veronica’s car and chauffer were probably there waiting to take her home. And sure enough, when he’d arrived he saw Ronnie’s car drive away, and Betty standing outside the front door watching it go.

***

Betty was in no mood to deal with Archie, but for everyone’s sake, this conversation had to happen.

“Betty?”

“What is it Archie? Haven’t you done enough damage in one night?”

“Betty, you can’t tell me that you didn’t feel the same way I did when we kissed, or when we were in the bunker together. I know you felt the way I did. And I can finally see it, us, together. We could be happy Betty, please?”

“Happy? HAPPY?! Look at where we are now Archie, does this look happy to you? What were you expecting? That I’d fall into your arms and we’d go back to the dance together and then before you know it, I’m just another girl you fucked?”, Betty spat viciously.

“And to answer your question, no. No, I did not feel the same way you did when we kissed. Because I felt like shit. I knew it was wrong in so many ways from the moment it happened to the moment I stopped you from singing that god-forsaken song you wrote. Archie, I was lonely and desperate for something that I could keep when I felt like I was losing everything. But I don’t love you. I haven’t in a very long time, and I never will again.”

She turned and walked away. She needed to find Jughead. She needed to reassure him of her love.

Archie, on the other hand, stood dumbfounded. He'd laid it all on the line for her, how could she not love him the same way he loved her?

It was because Elizabeth Cooper was all grown up. She stopped waiting around for a boy she “loved” to love her back. She moved on, and she fell in love with someone else. Archie just never saw it before, and now he was the one reeling from the pain one feels when love is not returned.

***

He spun around when he heard her voice. Timid and soft. She was standing a few feet away from him, the glow of the streetlights made it look as though there was a permanent ray of sunshine on her. She looked like a roman goddess, and in any other situation Jughead would’ve taken her in his arms and kissed her breathless. But not tonight. Tonight, they had to discuss their future – if it was really “theirs” anymore. Could he ever trust her with his heart again?

“Jug, will you come home with me? You deserve an explanation. Please.”, Betty asked shyly, wringing her hands nervously.

He nodded, not trusting his voice. She took a few steps toward him, took his hand, and led him down the sidewalk. To the house. Up the stairs. And into her (their) room.

For the second time they were sitting side by side, but now they were a respectful distance apart on the carpeted floor with their backs against the side of the bed. Neither of them knew what to say. They both still loved each other, but they were both afraid: one of getting hurt again, and the other of being left behind. There was so much that needed to be said, but neither could say it, making the air thick with quiet tension. Where would our two lovers start? Where would they end up? For the first time in so long they were terrified to open up to one another.

It was Jughead that broke the silence first.

“Are you going to tell me you’re in love with Archie and you’re leaving me?”, his voice raspy from the crying.

“No. That’s a sentence I never want to say”, she murmured. Her own voice laced with emotion.

“Then why did this all happen?”

Betty took a deep breath and turned her head to look at Jug, who had done the same. “You were so caught up in those tapes of the people with the masks, nothing else mattered to you. I couldn’t help you; you wouldn’t let me, and I didn’t know how because of that. At the time we didn’t know what was gonna happen with our future. We didn’t know where you’d end up. And all the while, June was edging closer and closer. I was desperate and afraid.

“That day I met Archie in his garage, we started out talking about good times we had in our childhood. It made me happy. And for the first time in so long, everything was so easy. And then directly after they got messy and complicated again. I know he thinks he loves me, and those three moments we had felt **right** , but he’s said that about so many other girls before me. So, I don’t think he knows what he wants. But I do.”

She reached over and started to stroke his hair, his beanie long since forgotten on the floor next to him.

“What do you want?”, he asked

“You, Juggie, it’s always been you and it always will be you”

“How can I trust that Betty? How can I trust you not to hurt me again?”, he stood up

“Tell me how I can fix this, Jug. What can I do to prove to you that I love you and never want to leave you?”, she got to her feet and placed her hands on his chest.

“I don’t know, Betts. I really don’t know. Maybe it’s something we can’t fix. Maybe it would be better for both of us if this is where we leave it.”

Betty knew he didn’t want that; she could see it in his eyes. It was Jugheads first instinct to deprive himself of the things he cared about because he didn’t feel worthy. She wasn’t going to let him go, not that easy.

Her hands moved to touch his cheeks, “No, Jug, no. That isn’t true. You love me and I love you, that’s all that matters, isn’t it?”

He didn’t say anything, instead he looked into her eyes. Both of them had new tears forming. They were both hurting, but they couldn’t give each other up. He shut his eyes and leaned into her touch and kissed her palm, glad she didn’t re-open her old scars.

“It’s okay if you can’t fully trust me right now, I understand. But I’m going to do everything I can to prove myself to you again. And Veronica, too”, she said softly.

But the two had one more important thing to talk about. They would far apart very soon. What were they going to do about that? Could the fragile bond they had right now withstand years of long distance? Jughead wasn’t as certain as he used to be anymore.

“What are we going to do about school? We’ll be so far apart for long stretches of time, Betts. Is it even possible?”

“It is if we want it to be. We’ve faced worse than that. But for now, can we just enjoy our summer together? Just you and me? We’ll figure the rest out as it comes.”, she rested her forehead against his, “I love you, Jughead Jones”

“I love you too, Betts. But I do have one last question for you.”

“What is it?”

He kissed the tip of her nose, “Did that feel right to you?”

She smiled, “Yes, it most certainly did”

He kissed her cheek, “how about that?”

“Yes”, she breathed.

After minutes of just exchanging kisses, the two fell back on the bed and were soon completely and utterly lost in each other.

***

Could he trust her with his heart again? Yes, he could. Because it was an undeniable fact of life that Jughead Jones’ heart would now and forever belong to Betty Cooper.

She had taken it when they were six years old and had never given it back – not that he wanted it back. He’d forgiven her for this, because she had shown him time and time again that she loved just as much as he loved her. Later that night, he would be lying in their bed with her snuggled close to him, and he would wonder if this was really a good idea, staying with the girl who’d broken his heart? And maybe it wasn’t really. Maybe things wouldn’t get better after all. Maybe they’d be worse. But long before she had hurt him – before she sent Archie to break up with him for her, before she threw him a birthday party he didn’t want – he had already forgiven her.

He had forgiven her for everything she could ever possibly do to him. He loved her too much to ever harbor anger or resentment towards her. It scared him sometimes, just how much he loved her. It was too much, and he always had to be careful not to drown in it, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. In his mind, he could never have enough of her love, not now, not in a decade, not in a century. There was no other woman for him, she was all he ever wanted.

***

At the time, Betty couldn’t have known that they would enjoy the summer like they planned, but by the next, the two would decide it was too much on them to hold on to an already fractured relationship while also trying to keep their heads above water in school.

She couldn’t have known that they would graduate from college having not seen each other since spring break of freshmen year. Both would live in different cities trying to make it through each day without the other, for over six years.

She couldn’t have known that the reason they would all return would be Archie’s death. He was killed in action they said - and Betty, Jughead, and Veronica thought they needed to make their peace with him and get some closure, seeing as none of them had spoken to him since that night.

She couldn’t have known he would return with some dark-haired girl named Jessica, who was a brat and complete bitch to her because she knew Betty was the ex-girlfriend, even though Betty could see, plain as day, that Jessica did not love Jughead as she should.

She couldn’t have known she would spend so many hours wrapped in Veronica’s arms crying from the pain of the gaping hole in her heart he used to fill. Unaware he had been living without a heart entirely since he’d lost her.

She couldn’t have known she would have to save him from himself when he turned into his father – a bad alcoholic. How she would spend so many nights with him passed out – his head in her lap – on her couch, until she managed to convince him to get help.

She couldn’t have known that the two of them would have to put their heads together to solve a Riverdale mystery one last time.

She couldn’t have known they would have to once again declare their love for one another after so much time spent separated.

What she did know, is that she would end up engaged to her beloved Juggie. And the two of them would leave Riverdale for Chicago to live out the plan they made during a time when they were young, and in love.

**Author's Note:**

> Sooo...Hi  
> How's it going?  
> Let me know what you thought of this short story. I tried to stay as canonical as I could with the spoilers we've been hearing. And maybe I was a little to kind to Betty with V and Jug essentially forgiving her instantly. But I couldn't write it any other way! I'm not sorry, I just love her too much to let her suffer, especially because she's truly sorry for what she did.  
> Honestly, I'm still really mad at the writers (looking at you Ted) for butchering Betty's character. And I was also mad at Archie, so I really took it out on him.  
> I don't know how much more bad writing (again - looking at you Ted) I can take before I leave the fandom, truthfully. But for now at least, I'm gonna stick around because I need to know what's gonna happen to my precious babies. Just let them be happy for god's sake! Don't fail us Roberto!  
> And if we don't like what happens - then never fear! The other fan-fic writers and myself will be here to make our own Bughead Friendly Canon! Because they deserve it, and we deserve it too, goddammit!  
> And before you ask, I did base Betty's dress after one Lili wore a couple years ago that I thought she looked breath-taking in. Not that she doesn't always look lovely, that is.  
> Thank You for reading and I'll see you soon  
> Virtual Hugs To All!!!


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